Carrboro, N.C. — People gathered around their televisions at watch parties around the Triangle to hear what the candidates had to say during the first Democratic debate of the 2016 presidential election.

One Carrboro watch party was organized by a group of people who said that they wanted people to watch the debate and leave feeling more informed. The party featured a voter registration table and organizers said that they were making a push for people to become involved during the primaries and not just in the general election.

Before the debate began, many said that they expected it to be different, and perhaps less entertaining, than the Republican debate. The real focus though, was on the issues.

“A concern is the income inequality among Americans,” said Chapel Hill resident Faisal Kahn. “More and more Americans are making less and less than before and more families are living under poverty so, to me that is really important.”

People hung around after the party to discuss the results, but many said that they were pleased with what they heard.

The crowd in Carrboro seemed to cheer more for Bernie Sanders than for any other candidate.